Portable clothes dryer



p 19578v L. LE B. LYONS m ETAL 2,850,810

PORTABLE CLOTHES DRYER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1956 INVENTORSLeonard lefiaron Lyons, //l v fire/7 Hofchk/ss, Jr."

HTTOP/VEVJ P 9, 1958 1.. LE B. LYONS In ETAL I 2,850,810

' PORTABLE CLOTHES DRYER 5 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 13, 1956 6/ 62 F1E EINVENTORS [canard [e Earon Zgorys, fife/7 Hofchk/ss, Jr.-

ATTORNE KS Sept. 9, 1958 L. LE B. LYONS m METAL 2,850,810 PORTABLECLOTHES DRYER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NQV. 13, 1956 F'IE J E INVENTORSUnited States Patent PORTABLE CLOTHES DRYER Leonard Le Baron Lyons HI,La Jolla, and Arch Hotchkiss, Jr., Redwood City, Calif., assignors toCalifornia Metropolitan Industries, Inc., Redwood City, Calif., acorporation of California Application November 13, 1956, Serial No.621,944

Claims. (Cl. 34-163) This invention relates generally to devices of theportable type for the convenient drying of clothes and like objects.

It has been common to dry clothes in a closed compartment through whichheated drying air is circulated. In general such devices have not beenconstructed in such a manner as to simplify storage when not in use, orfor convenient carrying from place to place like a traveling case. Alsothe structural features employed have not been such as to facilitate lowcost manufacture.

In general it is an object of the present invention to provide a clothesdryer which when collapsed occupies a small space whereby it may becarried like a traveling case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes dryer of theabove character which when extended forms an efficient clothes dryer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable clothes dryerof the above character having a bag for forming a closed drying space,the bag being readily replaceable with respect to the rest of thedevice, and being normally retained in a novel manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable clothes dryerhaving a readily replaceable bag of thin plastic material forming aclosed drying space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable dryer of theabove character which is so constructed as to facilitate low costmanufacture.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description in which the preferred embodiment has been setforth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is an end view illustrating a device incorporating the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail illustrating a bracket of the type that can beattached to the device, to facilitate supporting the device on a door.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating a clothes attaching device such as canbe used with our invention.

Figure 5 is an elevational view in section illustrating our deviceattached to a door and with the bag extended.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional detail illustrating the manner in whichthe bag is attached to the housing.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional detail illustrating the manner in whichthe bag engaging means is held in bag engaging position.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a front View of the device with the bag Patented Sept. 9,1958 Figure 12 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 11. 1

Figure 13 is a cross sectional detail on a large scale taken along thelines 13-13 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a cross sectional detail on an enlarged scale taken alongthe line 1414 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is a section in elevation taken along the line 1515 of Figure12.

Our device consists generally of a housing or casing 10 which is made ofsuitable material, such as drawn sheet metal. The side wall 11 isprovided with a handle 12, and when the device is being-carried thiswall forms the top of the assembly. The side wall 13 forms the bottom ofthe device When being carried, and as will be presently explained, isprovided with means to facilitate attachment to suitable supportingmeans. The side walls 14 are joined at right angles to the walls 11 and13, and in general all of the walls are joined whereby in appearance thedevice simulates a traveling case.

The top wall 16 (Figure 5) is provided with an air inlet opening 1],normally covered by the perforated wall or screen 18. An electrical fanis disposed within the housing adjacent to screen 18, and can consist ofthe electric motor 19 and the bladed propeller 21. The motor is showncarried by the mounting spider 22, which also serves to mount theelectrical heating elements 23. Spider 22 is in turn carried by theannular shell 24 which has a conical shaped portion 25 forming. adivergent discharge passage for the fan. The fan may, if desired, beprotected by suitable screening (not shown) extending across the conicalportion 25. Shell 24 is shown attached to a perforated cylindrical wall26 that is mounted on wall 16.

That side of the housing opposite the top wall 16 is completely open.Mounted within this openi side there is a bag 31 and a clothessupporting grille 32. The bag can be made of a suitable pliable plasticmaterial, such as polyethylene, polyvinyl, or Pliofilm. It is generallyrectangular in section when extended in the manner shown in Figure 5.The front wall 33 of this'bag is provided with an access closure 34(Figure '9) which can be retained in place by the attaching means 36 ofthe zipper type. A rectangular shaped metal hoop'37 (Figure 5) isdisposed in the bottom of the bag, and serves to retain the bottom wall38 distended in a substantially flat plane. The lower portions 39 of thebag are preferably provided with perforations 41 for the discharge ofair.

In this embodiment the mouth of the bag is attached to the housing 10 bymeans suchas shown in Figure 6. A sheet metal insert 42 is constructedfor insertion into the open side of the housing. The edge'43 of thisinsert is doubled back upon itself to engage about the marginal edge ofthe housing. A portion of the insert is offset to provide the groove 44.This groove accommodates the rectangularly shaped metal hoop 46, aboutwhich the adjacent material of the bag is folded. As shown in Figure 6the folded over edge of the bag may be secured by suitable staplingdevices 47. Normally the insert 42 is fixed within the housing, and toprovide suitable retention portions of the insert may be struck out asindicated at 48, to engage complementary struck out portions formed onthe housing. In practice it is desirable to form insert 42 of twohalves, which when inserted into the housing form the effect of a singleinsert. 'However when the insert is removed the halves can be separatedfrom the hoop 46, thus permitting a new bagand hoop to be applied.

The hoop 46 preferably carries a plurality of parallel wires or bars 49,which in effect form the grille 32. Clothespins 51 of the spring type(Figure 4) can be provided with hooks 52, for engaging over the bars 49,g

In Figures 1 and 2 it is assumed that the bag is in collapsed position.To collapse the bag it is only necessary to fold the pliableside wallsinwardly, while the bottom of the bag is lifted to a position where itis accommodated within the open side of the housing. Suitable means isprovided for holding the bag in this collapsed position. As shown inFigure 2 this means consists of a keeper in the form of a bail 53. Thetwo branches 54 of this bail have hinge connections 56 with the wall 13of the housing, adjacent the open side of the same. The other endportion 57 of the bail is adapted to snap over and be retained by thespring latch 58 (Figure 7). It will be evident that this keeper or bailholds the collapsed bag against the grille bars 49, thereby simulatingone side of the housing, and providing a neat appearance.

Various means can be used for supporting the housing in a positions suchas shown in Figure 5, whereby the bag can be dropped to extendedposition for use. The means illustrated consist of a pair of brackets 61having their upper ends 62 hook shaped, to engage over a door 63 or likehousehold object. The brackets are provided with hooks or headed studs64, which are adapted to engage in the keyhole shaped openings 66(Figure 3) formed in the wall 13. The lower ends of the bracket 61 areshown formed with hooks 67, for engaging the adjacent edge of thehousing. In place of such a supporting means it is evident that thehousing can be engaged with screws or like fastening devices, to supportit in horizontal position on the wall of a room.

Figure 10 shows the use of books 68 (one on each side of the housing)having bent ends for engaging in slots 69. Such hooks can engage over ahorizontal support rod 71.

Operation of our device is as follows: Assuming that it has been hungfrom a door in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, the bail 53 isreleased to permit the bag to drop down and form a space for envelopingclothes. The closure 34 is removed by unfastening the zipper, and theclothes to be dried are hung on the grille rods 49. The electrical cord72 which makes connections with the motor of the fan and the electricalheating elements 23, is then plugged into the conventional currentsupply system, whereby the fan forces the heated air downwardly throughthe bag and between the clothes. When the device is not in use, the bagcan be collapsed in the manner previously described and the bail 53latched over the bottom of the bag in the manner shown in Figures 1 and2.

It will be evident from the foregoing that we have provided a devicewhich can be handled in the same manner as an ordinary traveling case,and which can be readily installed to function as a clothes dryer. Whenthe bag is collapsed the device is compact and neat in appearance, andthe bag is protected against accidental injury.

In the embodiment of Figures 11-15 inclusive the housing or casing 10ais similar to the housing 10 described above, except for structuralfeatures to be presently described. The motor 19 and fan propeller 21,together with the electrical heating elements 23 and associated parts,are similar to the corresponding parts illustrated in Figure 5. Theflared or conical portion 25 of the shell 24 is provided with a screen76, which prevents any portions of the articles being dried from beingdrawn up into the zone of operation of the propeller.

Simplified means illustrated particularly in Figures 13 and 14, servesto retain the bag 31a with respect to the casing 10a, and the grille32a. The hoop 46a, forming a part of the grille, is fitted within theopen face of the housing and is detachably retained by a plurality ofspring metal tabs 77. The upper edge of the bag is shown folded over thehoop 46a, whereby the tabs not only retain the hoop 46a and grille inproper position, but in addition retain the bagattached to the hoop 46aand the housing. As illustrated in Figure 13, the edge of the bag can beprovided with a cord or other type of reinforcement 78, which aids inretaining the bag in the manner illustrated in this figure. When it isdesired to remove the grille and the bag it is only necessary to applysufficient force to pull the grille out of engagement with the springtabs 77, after which a new bag can be applied about the hoop 46a, andthe hoop again engaged with the tabs 77.

The bag 31:: illustrated in Figure 15 is essentially the same as the bagof Figure 5. The opening 34a is attached to the main part of the bag bysuitable means such as a fastener of the zipper type, and the lowerportion 39a is provided with openings 410.

As shown particularly in Figure 12, means similar to that shown inFigure 7 is employed for releasably retaining the bail 53a. Thus thebail portion 57a is adapted to engage and be retained by the metal latchor tongue 58a that is attached to the adjacent wall of the housing. Thebail can be sprung a sufficient amount to pass the free end of thistongue, thus permitting the bail to swing to either bag-retaining orout-of-the-way positions.

This application is a continuation-impart of abandoned applicationsSerial 441,502 filed July 6, 1954, and Serial 514,826 filed June 13,1955 for Portable Clothes Dryer."

We claim:

1. In a portable clothes dryer, a rigid housing formed of a top and fourside walls and having a handle on one side wall, said housing forming atraveling case, an electric fan mounted within the housing, the top wallof the housing having an opening therein forming an air inlet for thefan, the opposite side of the housing being open for discharging airdelivered from the fan, electrical heating means mounted in the housingfor heating air circulated by the fan, a bag of pliable material havinga disengageable access closure on one side of the same, a clothessupporting grille mounted within said housing, said bag being foldableto a position adjacent said grille, said grille having a hoop portionabout which the bag is engaged to thereby retain the bag upon thehousing, said bag being capable of extension to hang below the housingto thereby provide an enclosed space for receiving articles to be dried,and means for releasably retaining said bag in said folded position.

2. In a portable clothes dryer, a rigid housing formed of a top and fourside walls and having a handle on one side wall, said housing forming acarrying case, an electric fan mounted within the housing, the top wallof the housing having an opening therein forming an air inlet for thefan, the opposite side of the housing being open for discharge of air,electrical heating means mounted within the housing for heating aircirculated by the fan, a bag of pliable material adapted to form adrying space, a clothes supporting grille having an outer hoop portionadapted to be positioned within the open side of the housing, the mouthportion of the bag being disposed about said outer hoop portion, meanscarried by the housing for releasably engaging said hoop portion andsaid open mouth portion of the bag whereby both said grille and said bagare removably retained with respect to the housing, said bag beingfoldable to a position within the housing adjacent said grille with itsbottom extending across said open side of the housing or being capableof extension to hang below the housing to provide an enclosed space forreceiving articles to be dried.

3. A clothes dryer as in claim 2 in which said means carried by thehousing for detachably engaging the hoop portion of the grille includesa plurality of spring clips.

4. A portable clothes dryer as in claim 2 in which said means carried bythe housing for detachably engaging the hoop portion of the grilleconsists of a grooved insert removably fitted within the housing, saidhoop portion being accommodated within the groove of said insert.

5. In a portable clothes dryer, a rigid housing formed of a top and fourside walls and having a handle on one side wall, said housing forming acarrying case, an electric fan mounted within the housing, the top wallof the housing having an opening therein forming an air inlet for thefan, the opposite side of the housing being open for delivering airdischarged from the fan, electrical heating means mounted Within thehousing for heating air circulated by the fan, a shell generallyembracing the fan within the housing, said shell having a divergentportion interposed between the fan and said open side of the housing, ascreen extending over said divergent portion, a clothes supportinggrille having a hoop portion, a bag of pliable material having its mouthportion engaging about said hoop portion, a plurality of spring tabsattached to the housing, said tabs being disposed to detachably engagesaid hoop portion to thereby detachably secure the hoop portion to thehousing and to retain the mouth of the bag with respect to both the hoopportion and the housing, said bag being collapsible to a position Withinthe housing with its bottom extending across the open side of thehousing or being capable of extension to hang below the housing toprovide an enclosed drying space, one side of the bag having means ofaccess into the interior thereof, at least one wall of the bag adjacentthe bottom of the same being provided with perforations for thedischarge of air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,156,784 Jensen May 2, 1939 2,705,377 Konstandt Apr. 5, 1955 2,728,996Mason Jan. 3, 1956

